Flora of North America species comparison

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Enterolobium contortisiliquum

earpod tree, pacara earpod tree
Habit Trees to 30 m. Bark smooth.
Leaves

stipules linear-subulate, 2–3 mm;

petiole 3–5(–8) cm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, with sessile, elliptic gland distal to middle;

rachis pubescent or glabrous;

stipels distal to secondary pulvinus, linear-subulate, 1 mm;

leaflet blade asymmetrical, linear-oblong to subfalcate, 8–15 × 3–4 mm, base obliquely rounded, apex obliquely acute to obtuse, mucronate.
Inflorescences

heads (on secondary branches) 0.5–1 cm, 1–2 cm diam.
Peduncles

0.5–2 cm.
Pedicels

1 mm.
Flowers

calyx 2 mm, 5-ribbed, pubescent on outer surface, lobes triangular, 0.25 mm;

corolla funnelform, 5–6 mm, pubescent on outer surface, lobes linear-lanceolate, 2 mm;

stamens ca. 80, 8–10 mm, white or cream, glabrous;

filaments connate 4 mm proximally.
Fruits

blackish, (55–)60–70(–80) × (40–)50–60 mm, dull, glaucous.
Seeds

dark brown, flattened, 10 × 5 mm, with evident pleurogram.
2n

= 26 (South America).

Enterolobium contortisiliquum
Phenology Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in West Indies, Africa]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Enterolobium contortisiliquum is known from central peninsular Florida.

Enterolobium contortisiliquum is cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas of the Americas and Africa. The species is used for wood in construction and cabinetry and is often cultivated as a shade tree in the tropics and subtropics. The seeds contain toxic saponins.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Enterolobium
Synonyms Mimosa contortisiliqua, Feuilleea contortisiliqua
Name authority (Vellozo) Morong: Ann. New York Acad. Sci. 7: 102. (1893)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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